Modelling secure CO2 storage
24 Oct 2012
Numerical Rocks AS, a small Norwegian company, has been studying how carbon dioxide moves and becomes locked inside the microstructure of sandstone and other rock.
“We calculate reservoir parameters based on a slow, continuous flow of water and CO2 within the pore system of the rock – and we represent this on a digital, three-dimensional image of the rock,” said Senior Research Scientist Ramstad.
There is no doubt this will become a core activity of many major petroleum players
“The result is an animated 3D simulation of fluids within the rock, which enhances researchers’ physical understanding of how these substances behave.”
Stationary flow is the snail-paced movement of substances, typically just 30cm per day, which takes place far from the injection well.
This flow is controlled by capillary pressure conditions. The CO2 trapped in a rock’s pores by capillary force does not leak out, even if the impermeable rock types above it crack open.
Numerical Rocks is now studying flow under non-stationary conditions in the immediate vicinity of the injection wells where the pressure is variable and flow occurs much more quickly.
The company is confident that the need for this kind of simulation service will grow.
“Demand will increase as CO2 storage becomes more common,” said Håkon Rueslåtten. “There is no doubt this will become a core activity of many major petroleum players.”
The research has received public funding under the Norwegian RD&D CCS programme (CLIMIT).
Numerical Rocks AS is also about to complete a merger with the Australian company Digitalcore Pty Ltd. The Norwegian-Australian company will be called Lithicon.
To download a technical note on modeling of multiscale porous media, please click on the link in the right hand column.
